Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson both have said that they would replace David Brown as head of the Chicago Police Department, and now one of the contenders for Chicago’s mayoral spot will get that opportunity after the superintendent announced his resignation.
Both candidates had said during their campaigns that they intended to replace Brown upon taking office, and in statements on Wednesday, both said that they would aim to replace Brown with a candidate from within the department.
“As mayor, my preference will be to appoint someone from within the current ranks of the department, but most important is appointing the right person for the job – someone who is collaborative, competent and compassionate, and who truly cares about protecting and serving the people of our city,” Johnson said.
Vallas criticized Brown for failing to make the city safer, and called his resignation “a positive step forward” in his statement following the announcement.
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“As mayor, I will appoint a new police superintendent and command team from within CPD that will prioritize community policing, end the failed friends and family promotion system and invest in building trust between the police and our communities,” he said. “Public safety is a civil right, and as mayor I will work with CPD and all of our communities to make Chicago the safest big city in America.”
Incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who lost to Johnson and Vallas in the Feb. 28 Chicago elections, says that she has instructed the committee in charge of identifying superintendent candidates to begin work on finding Brown’s replacement, and that her intention would be for the new mayor to make that decision on an appointment when they are installed in office in May.
The Chicago City Council will then vote on confirming Brown’s replacement at that time.
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Vallas and Johnson will square off in the mayoral runoff on April 4.
